The Ministry of Transport on March 20 set up a special working group led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Ngoc Dong to deal with the collapse of Ghenh bridge, a key bridge on the North-South railway line.

The Ghenh bridge collapsed at noon on March 20 after a barge crashed into its pillar

The group will work from the scene to assess the damage to the bridge, investigate the cause of the incident and instruct measures to overcome the consequences, particularly ways to ensure land, railway and waterway transport.

Three Deputy Ministers of Transport, including Deputy Minister Nguyen Ngoc Dong have arrived at the site and are directing efforts to rescue victims and solve arising problems such as the blockage of train services on the route.

Ho Chi Minh City Police has sent two canoes and 30 soldiers to the site to help with search and rescue work, according to Colonel Le Tan Buu, head of HCM City firefighting department.

The Ghenh bridge across Dong Nai River in the southern province of Dong Nai, collapsed at noon on March 20 after a barge crashed into its pillar, making many people falling into the river.

It is not clear how many people have fallen into water and the search is still continuing.

Latest reports said four victims have been saved so far, and three motorbikes were fished out of the river.

As the bridge is on the North-South railway route, railway services have been stopped. Trains on the route now have to stop at Bien Hoa Station in Dong Nai province.

The Ghenh bridge was built more than 100 years ago and is being used for both railway and land transportation.

Two prosecuted for bridge collapse in Dong Nai

Police in the southern province of Dong Nai decided to prosecute and detain two men after the collapse of Ghenh Bridge in Bien Hoa.

Police are investigating the incident for Penal Code violations on means of transport in waterways.

The arrestees were Tran Van Giang, 36, of Bac Lieu province and Nguyen Van Le, 28, of Soc Trang.

The towboat, which had a registered number plate of SG 3745, was driven by Giang, according to an initial investigation. It was towing a barge with a plate number of SG 5984 and carrying about 600 tonnes of sand from Long An province to Dong Nai. It crashed into a bridge pillar on the morning of March 20, causing people to fall into the river. Giang and Le fled immediately .

Waterway police saved two victims so far. It is not clear how many fell into the water and the search is ongoing.

As the bridge is on the North-South railway route, railway services have been stopped. Trains on the route must now stop at Bien Hoa Station. The provincial authorities and the Vietnam Road Administration are discussing building a temporary railway bridge.

Regarding the case, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is also Head of National Traffic Safety Committee , assigned Deputy Transport Ministers Nguyen Hong Truong and Nguyen Ngoc Dong to inspect the location to determine the exact cause of the collapse.

The officials worked with representatives from the provincial People’s Committee to discuss measures to deal with the crash.

The Ministry of Transport will direct relevant agencies to make plans to salvage collapsed pillars and ensure safety and smooth traffic on railway, waterway and road routes in the locality, as well as propose ways to repair broken pillars, Truong said.

It will take about three to five months to fix the bridge, he added.

To support passengers travelling between Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai, HCM City’s transport sector increased bus service from Sai Gon Station to Bien Hoa and vice versa.

The Ghenh bridge was built more than 100 years ago and is used for both railway and land transportation.

According to initial reports, the barge lost control on its way from lower reach to upper Dong Nai river, hitting the bridge and turning over. Two spans of the bridge collapsed after the crash.